NOTES AND QUEBJES. 



31 



its beautiful snow mountain at the end of the valley, which is clothed 

 with pine- wood. Here I saw Blackstarts (Ruticilla titys) for the first 

 time. Up the mountain we heard Ravens (Corvus corax), and saw 

 some Coal-Tits (Parus ater), and in the woods near the hotel I saw a 

 Bullfinch (Pyrrhula europcea), a Thrush (Turdus mtisicus), House- 

 Martins (Chelidon urbica), and a great many Chaffinches (Fringilla 

 cozlebs). On the way to our next place (Bozen) I noted one Hoo- 

 poe (Upupa epops), Yellowhammers (Ember iza citrinella), Wagtails 

 (species?), Common Sandpipers (Totanus hypoleucus), a Kestrel 

 (Falco tinnunculus), and a covey of Quail (Cotumix communis). From 

 Bozen we took a carriage and drove over the Karrar, Pordoi, and 

 Falzarego Passes. Birds still kept very scarce. However, I noted 

 Pied or White Wagtails, Coal-Tits, Blackstarts, House-Martins, and 

 Swallows (Hirundo rustica), the last two species very common in the 

 valleys about villages. We saw no Swifts. One Blackbird (Turdus 

 merula) was noted, also some Rooks (Corvus frugileg us). The wild 

 flowers on the passes were exceedingly beautiful, and I noticed quite 

 a number growing wild which we cultivate in our gardens at home. 

 Butterflies and moths were not very much in evidence to the ordinary 

 eye, but most likely an entomologist would have noted numerous 

 species. I was greatly struck with a splendid large fritillary and a 

 beautiful little black moth with pink spots on the wings. 



Cortina was reached on. Aug. 7th. It is beautifully situated by a 

 river and surrounded by dolomite mountains. Here birds were not 

 quite so scarce, and I had the pleasure of seeing two species new to 

 me. One day, while coming down the river, I saw a bird about the 

 stones. Hoping it was a Dipper, I crept up and had a good view of 

 the Alpine Water-Ouzel (Cinclus albicollis). I could distinctly see 

 the dark grey back wherein it differs from our species at home, which 

 has a sooty-brown back. I looked out for this bird every time I went 

 up the river, but never saw it again. Another day I saw a family 

 party of Red-backed Shrikes (Lanius collurio), which had taken 

 possession of a bush across the river. I had never seen this bird 

 before, as it is extremely rare with us, so I was greatly pleased to get 

 such a good view of this handsome species. I think there was a 

 male, female, and two young, which were being fed from time to time 

 by the old birds, for every now and again they would dart off across 

 the field for insects exactly as our Flycatcher does. Along this river 

 were a great number of Wagtails of different species, but they mostly 

 seemed young birds. In the bushes I once saw a Sedge- Warbler 

 (Acrocephalus phragmitis), and in the town Sparrows (Passer domes- 



